PLAGUE. This formidable disease, though always originating in countries far remote from us, is brought so much within. our reach, by our extended commercial in tercourse, as to be an object of interest, even to ourselves, if less so than to the Christian nations of the Mediterra nean. There are few of these indeed that have not at some period suffered from it ; and assuredly there are no diseases, the characters of which are more formidable, as well for the extent and rapidity of its progress, as for its incurable nature.
We rims', however, thank our own care and prudence that we are still enabled to keep it at a distance ; and it is right at the same time to remember, that it is only by such exertions that we can insure ourselves from it at any time. That it can spread widely, even where it does not originate, sad experience has shown ; and that it is con stantly tending to do so even now, there are recent proofs. In 1818, it had penetrated from the Adriatic even into the lazaretto of Venice, and into Naples. The Illyric coast is, indeed, in constant danger of it, from the commerce carried on in Albania by the Dalmatians, and more espe cially by the inhabitants of the Bocca di Cattaro. We are also held in continual fear of it, by its permanent resi dence on the Barbary coast, and by the constant system of piracy carried on by these nations in the Mediterranean, and on the coasts of Spain and Italy. Hence it has ap peared not very long ago at Malta, as it has in Greece, and even in Gibraltar; in former times, as we shall pre sently see, its ravages in these quarters were much more frequent and decisive. That its communication is not now limited, even to those maritime countries, is further but too certain ; since, in 1819, it appeared at Nuremberg, having been imported in some bales of cotton from Smyr na; many persons having died of it notwithstanding the most rigid precautions taken by the Austrian and Prus sian governments.
Introduction of the Plague into Christian Europe.
The seat of the plague has been almost uniformly re ferred to Egypt. The great plague of Athens is consi dered by Thucydides, as having been imported from the borders of that country by a circuitous course through Libya. It appeared first in many of the Greek islands, partiCularly at Lemnos, and first sheaved itself at Athens, in the Pirxus. This, the first instance on record of its
appearance in Europe, took place in the year 430, A. C. Procopius also traces a plague, which spread over an enormous extent of country for fifty-two years, from Pe lusium, the-modern Damietta, and thence in succession to Alexandria, Palestine, and Constantinople, whence it was lastly propagated to almost all known Europe.
Its first introduction into modern Europe was by means of the Crusades, and there is here no difficulty in tracing it to the same sources. Since that, it has appeared in va rious places, and by many different routes ; yet always imported from some part or other of the Turkish empire, where it is effectually preserved by the necessarian creed of Mohammedanism. Among these examples, we may name its introduction into Marseilles in 1720, where, in the short space of seven months, 60,000 people fell vic tims to it ; and that into Messina, where, in three months, 43,000 people perished.
It is more interesting to ourselves to recall to mind its appearance in our own country, which has also suffered inost severely from it at different times. It appeared in London in 1593, and at that period it destroyed 11,503 persons. In this case, it was proved that it had been im ported from Alkmaar. Again, in 1603, 36,269 people fell victims to the plague ; and, in this case, the conta gion was introduced from Ostend. Six years after this it appeared again at Alkmaar, as well as in Denmark ; but in consequence of the communication between these countries and England having been suspended, Great Bri tain escaped at this time. But in 1625, it broke out again in London, at which time it was traced to Denmark. On this occasion, its ravages extended to about 35,500 people. In 1636, it again destroyed 13,480 persons in London, when its origin was traced to Leyden. In 1665, its seve rity was still greater; as, on the smallest calculation, 68,600 inhabitants died of it. Here, however, our own experience of it terminates ; as quarantine laws, added to a variety of improvements in the state of society, have, since that, protected us from these calamitous visitations. On its appearances at Petersburgh and elsewhere, in mo dern times, we cannot here pretend to enter.